


(im not) scared of the dark

by daibanana



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angelic Grace (Supernatural), Angst, Bisexual Sam Winchester, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Character Death Fix, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s14e20 Moriah, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Gabriel Has Issues, Gabriel has trauma, Hurt Sam Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Major Character Undeath, POV Gabriel, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Episode: s14e20 Moriah, im sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 11:33:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18619792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daibanana/pseuds/daibanana
Summary: When God releases all the souls and demons from Hell, what he doesn't realize is that he opens the dam in the Empty, too.In the middle of a forest, a tree falls. An archangel is the only one to hear it.





	(im not) scared of the dark

**Author's Note:**

> hey folks! 14x20 fucking destroyed me. andrew dabb ripped out my heart, stabbed it, and then stomped all over it. fuck you andrew dabbert. so yeah anyway, whilst 14x20 hurt VERY BAD it also gave my little grubby gay hands a chance to right one of the writers' wrongs.  
> hope you enjoy!

Gabriel remembers screaming.

It’s fresh on his mind - all too fresh - Michael stabbing him in the heart and twisting, the small smile on his face and eyes that reflected just how little remorse he felt. In a way, it was worse than dying; knowing how his brother was almost eager to ice him hurt him deeper than any archangel blade.

But then, he wakes up again, and he wonders why.

He’s not where he died, not anymore. No - he doesn’t know where he is, but he knows he’s not in Apocalypse World - he can feel it - and he’s sure the Winchesters didn’t take his body with them. He fucking hopes they didn’t, because that would mean using up the time he tried to save for them by killing himself.

Though, really, that’s all it was, wasn’t it? An excuse to -

He hears shuffling nearby. Something’s moving. He stands up and turns, and it wasn’t just one he realizes now. Almost a goddamn horde is surging out of the forest, towards him, and Gabriel can tell things aren’t right.

Well, that, and how the sky is pitch black. He figures the Winchesters have something to do with it.

Gabriel’s first instinct, now, is to run, and hide. He knows he can’t defend himself. Not when he’s powerless and traumatized. It sickens him to think about, but he accepts the truth as it is.

Yet, the second he considers running, he finds himself flying.

He lands in the Winchesters’ bunker, and looks back at his wings. They’re not frail, or wounded, or… anything, anymore. It’s like he’d never gone to Hell at all. He considers a moment, and then looks over at the map table in front of him.

He snaps, and it turns into a lavish red sofa.

Quickly, panicking, he snaps it back into a table and starts to hyperventilate. Why is he panicked by this? Why is this so scary to him? He has his powers back, he should be happy.

But he’s not. He’s terrified.

Gabriel realizes his grace is completely replenished, his wings refurbished, in a way, and he’s so fucking afraid that all he can do is collapse to the ground and fall into a fetal position. He’d always hoped, before, that upon his grace replenishing he’d feel like himself again. He wouldn’t be scared anymore.

What naivete.

Now an all-powerful cosmic being again, Gabriel finds it choking, and he starts to sob. It’s too much. Not even just that, no - if he was resurrected, and at full power, then who else? What else? What the hell is even _happening_ on Earth now?

“Gabriel?”

It’s quiet, and hesitant, but he hears. It’s followed by footsteps, getting more and more frantic, before a hand slowly and gently rests on his shoulder. “Gabe?”

Gabriel lifts his head up, eyes meeting Sam’s. He doesn’t try to hide his tears, and Sam sits down beside him. He can tell the hunter had also been crying, and he wants so badly to help - to do anything, really - but he can't. Maybe he never could.

“So I guess this means angels are back too. Maybe that’ll be a good thing,” Sam says quietly, his tone small and hopeful, but moreso in the way of ‘needing to hope or risk breaking.’ Gabriel knew it very well.

“Maybe,” the archangel says, and he’s disappointed in how pathetic he sounds. Not that he expected anything else, but even still, it feels wrong. Everything about this is wrong.

“What happened, Sam?”

The hunter takes in a long breath, and he can tell he has to keep himself composed so he doesn’t start crying too. “It - um, it was… it was Chuck. Uh, God. He… he’d been playing us, this whole time, all of our fucking lives and he - he killed Jack, Gabe. He killed him without even blinking.”

Sam didn’t bother keeping himself composed anymore.

Gabriel unwound his body and moved closer to Sam, wrapping an arm around him and, unbeknownst to the human, a wing. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Sam.”

Sam sniffles, and wipes his face, and he takes in a shaky breath. He takes Gabriel’s hand in his own and squeezes it. “It’s okay. ‘S’okay. You didn’t - it’s not your fault, Gabe. It’s not - none of it is - I… I’m just glad you’re here. Fuck, I… I’m scared, Gabriel.”

“I know. I know, I - I am too.”

Sam nods, slowly, his eyes fixated on a crack in the flooring. He doesn’t answer at first.

Gabriel coughs, clears his throat, and he speaks up. “So… does this mean I get a spot at your lunch table now?” he jokes, but his voice falls flat, and it betrays his general fear and upset. Sam laughs regardless, and it makes the archangel feel something - not to be like Dean, but something he thought he had repressed.

“Yeah. Yes - please. I - We need you here, Gabe. Even if you don’t want to fight or anything, just you… being here. It’ll - um, it’ll help all of us, I think.” Sam sounds nervous.

He thinks Gabriel will fly off again. God dammit.

“Of course. Yeah. I guess I can stick around, since you - um - you asked so nicely.” This time he’s able to keep up a joking tone, other than a quiver and a pause. It’s progress, he thinks.

Sam looks happy - and surprised, Gabriel thinks sadly - in response. He nods slightly. “Good. I’ll… let’s tell Cas and Dean that you’re - you know, you’re um, back from the dead and all.” He stands up, offering Gabriel a hand, which he takes. Sam pauses, breathing in and nodding to himself. He looks back at Gabriel with a smile.

“I’m glad you’re back, Gabe.”

Sam begins to walk, and the archangel can’t repress it.


End file.
